


What Should Have Been and So It Shall Be

by chawanmushii



Series: Reset [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Reality, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Fix-It of Sorts, Fluff, Happy Ending, M/M, Oblivious Lance (Voltron), Pining Keith (Voltron), Post S8, Pre-Relationship, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Time Travel, characters talk, the reality where everything turns out fine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-07
Updated: 2019-01-07
Packaged: 2019-10-06 03:48:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17338028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chawanmushii/pseuds/chawanmushii
Summary: Two years after the end of the war, Lance has become a shadow of his past self. All Keith wants is for Lance to be happy again. So when the opportunity arises to change the way things turned out, Keith takes it.Or, in which Keith finds out his pet space-wolf has the power to not only warp through space, but also through time.Set at the end of season 8 but before the ending credits.





	What Should Have Been and So It Shall Be

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own any rights to Voltron or its characters. This is a fan-work.

Laughter rings out at the dinner table. A bountiful feast lays spread out on the elegant surface, the fragrance of Altean delicacies wafting in the cool evening air as old friends gathered to reconnect for the first time in months during what has become an annual tradition.

It should be a joyous occasion, but Keith just feels sick.

“—I planted more seeds once the first test-run successfully grew out. The new clusters look like they’re coming along great and Coran says the fields are really starting to smell like Juniberries now, especially in spring! I swear Kaltenecker’s never looked happier grazing her favourite patch of grass—”

Lance is talking animatedly, describing his recent endeavours with gusto, the way he used to when they all lived on the Castle of Lions. While Coran and the rest of the former paladins seemed content enough with Lance’s seemingly usual dramatics, Keith wasn’t convinced.

Lance’s Altean marks glow faintly as he spoke, but the light doesn’t reach his eyes.

“Keith?”

Keith blinks at the question on Shiro’s face, glancing around the table to find he had everyone’s attention. Gaze flitting towards Lance – the last person he remembered talking – he realizes the other man is silent now. The side of Lance’s lips quirk as their gazes met briefly before Lance turns back to his food. Keith frowns, until he remembers that the others were still waiting.

Smoothing his expression, he pays Shiro his full attention. “Sorry, Shiro. I was just… thinking about my last mission. You were saying?”

Shiro levels Keith with a ‘look’ but thankfully doesn’t prod further.

“I asked how things with the Blade were going. I heard from Kolivan that you ran into some trouble last week?”   

It takes a while but Keith’s brain slowly chugs back to life, auto-pilot kicking in and launching into a detailed explanation of his latest mission.

“—once the Kaljorians realized we didn’t mean any harm, they were quick to welcome us. We were taken to their King where we seized the opportunity to explain about the Coalition and by the end of the planet’s rotation, they were more than eager to join the alliance. That was when I contacted Iverson—"

As he droned on, Keith notices the way Lance played with the food on his plate before pushing it away, half its contents still untouched. Keith’s frown returns, his resolve hardening.

Something needs to be done.

He needs to talk to Lance.

**********

Exactly two years has passed since the end of the war and with it, a new era of peace was born. Two years since Allura made the ultimate sacrifice in a bid to save all realities.

And two years since Keith lost his right-hand man and close friend.

After Allura’s death, Lance was never the same.

Having finished with dinner, Keith trudged through the newly-constructed Altean castle. Lance had excused himself early but Keith was determined to catch up to him. He had already dropped by the guest wing where Coran had them put up for the night but Lance was nowhere to be found. Keith wasn’t about to give up though; he had a good hunch as to where the former Red Paladin could have gone.

Keith’s footsteps echoed off the long hallways, blue Altean crystals lighting up the walls magically as he strode past, sensing his presence. Humming appreciatively, Keith feels waves of nostalgia wash over him. It always felt like this during visits to the New Altea.

After the war, the surviving Alteans worked tirelessly to recreate the Altea which had been lost, with Coran’s knowledge and memory serving as their guide. Since there was no heir to the Altean crown, Coran was chosen to stand-in as ruler to the throne until the next suitable candidate was decided – something which, as time went by, seemed more and more like an impossible feat. Many discussions were held on the topic but even till this day, no conclusion could be achieved, not to anyone’s surprise. There was simply no one out there who could ever take Allura’s place. 

Reaching the end of the last hallway, Keith stops in front of the wide opening, nothing but a fogged glass panel separating him from the other side. Passing through it, he finds himself standing at the top of a short flight of steps leading down to a square and beyond that, a beautiful garden spanning as far as the eye could see.

Keith scans the area for that familiar lanky frame, Galran eyes taking in his surroundings easily despite the blanket of night wrapping everything in darkness, punctured only by streaks of light shining from blue crystals floating in the air. Quickly enough, Keith finds his target underneath the tallest tree he could see – the one standing atop a hilly area overlooking a giant lake.

Bingo.

“Hey,” Keith calls out once he was within earshot, voice soft to avoid surprising the other man with his sudden presence. 

“Hey,” Lance responds without bothering to move. He stayed seated, knees pulled loosely against his chest, gaze fixed on the deep-purple sky. The nights on Altea were always clear during this period; the sky packed with glittering constellations from millions of light years away, faraway stars shining and reflecting off the lake below and swathing the garden with an ethereal ambiance.

Hesitantly, Keith steps towards the empty spot beside Lance. When Lance makes no move to stop him, Keith takes it, stretching his legs out and leaning back on his elbows to join Lance in appreciating nature’s beauty.

“You looking at the night sky?”

The line draws out a wry smile. “Yeah. Might be awhile before we get to see it again.”

“Doesn’t have to be. You could stay on longer, I’m sure Coran won’t mind.”

“Nah, I should get back to Earth.”

“It’s only been a day since you got here. You could afford to take some time off, maybe even help out with the rebuilding,” Keith suggests. “You heard what Coran said, they still haven’t figured out why the Juniberries here grew out orange.”

Lance chuckles lightly. “I’ve explained it to Coran, that’s only happening because they’re over-stressing the flowers. The buds need time to adapt after the first transplant to prevent them from losing their original colour – a little patience makes all the difference.”

“Sounds… complicated. Wouldn’t it be better for you to stick around and watch?”

“I’m sure they can manage. I’ve already written down all the important stuff for Coran so he has all the information he needs.”

“Still, might be a good thing to get away from the farm for—"

“ _No_ ,” Lance cuts in sharply, all traces of laughter gone in an instant. He sighs, turning back to the sky. “Sorry, I didn’t mean… I have to get back. Y’know, to help my family and all.”

Keith finds multiple arguments rolling around the tip of his tongue but bites them down, aware that voicing them out would probably only serve to push Lance away. So he keeps his silence, even though every instinct in him screamed that everything about this was wrong – this awkward conversation, the forlorn tone underlining Lance’s voice, the brooding in Lance’s expression, the seemingly-permanent droop in Lance’s wiry frame, _everything_. 

Sighing inwardly, Keith wished he knew what to do, what to say, to help make things better. It’s painfully obvious that Lance was still hurting. Rather than healing, he seemed to be sinking deeper and deeper into the gaping hole left behind by Allura’s absence.

Keith wants to be understanding. Really, he does. Everyone else on the team didn’t seem overly perturbed by Lance’s behavior and Keith wondered if he was getting ahead of himself. He was concerned enough that he had even confided in Shiro once.

 _“Lance needs time to recover,”_ Shiro had said. _“He’s just lost someone dear, someone really important to him. And you know better than anyone else wounds like that don’t heal quickly, if ever.”_  
  
“… is there anything I can do to help?” Keith had asked.

_Shiro smiled kindly, dark eyes wise and knowing. “Just wait for him, Keith. Give him the space he needs. Hopefully, he’ll be ready to come back to us one day.”_

That had happened about a year ago.

Despite Shiro’s advice and Keith’s best efforts, his patience was waning.

He couldn’t help feeling that Lance was slowly slipping away as the days rolled by. Lance was so quiet now. So _subdued_. And lately, during the rare occasions when Keith got to see Lance, the change in the former Red Paladin’s character was even more prominent. It felt like they were _losing_ Lance and Keith would rather forfeit his own life than to allow himself to lose another person he loved.

It hurt to see someone he cared so deeply for constantly downcast. The Lance who had fought in the war was lively, boisterous, courageous – nothing like the husk of a man who now wandered through life like a zombie. Keith was prepared to do anything to return Lance to his bright and energetic self, if only there was a way.

Keith is shaken out of his reverie at the sounds of rustling. Lance had gotten to his feet.

“I’m heading back in.”

“Oh,” Keith deflates. “Already?”

“Keith, it’s close to midnight.”

So it was. Keith hadn’t noticed at all. “… I guess so.”

Lance raises a thin eyebrow at the unenthusiastic response but doesn’t comment. Waving a hand, he turns to retire for the night.

Keith panics.

Come morning, Lance would be taking the first shuttle back to Earth and Keith would need to resume his duties with the Blade. It could be _months_ before they next saw each other. In his depressed state, who knows what would become of Lance by then?

Keith stands abruptly, mind racing.

“Hey, Lance?”

Lance stops, looking over his shoulder. “Yeah?”

Keith clenches his fists. Amongst the many things he considered to help Lance come out of his slump, there is _one_ in particular festering at the back of his mind for some time now. He had meant to bring it up sooner but dithered to do so, fearing that Lance wasn’t ready to hear it. But at this point, now seemed just as good a time as any.

“W-would…” Keith paused, annoyed at the way his voice wavered and clamped down harder. _“Would you like to_ _join the Blades?“_

Lance stares at him, expression blank. Keith fumbles.

“Uhm, you see… this whole humanitarian thing is a relatively new stint for us. There are a lot of planets out there in the universe who need help. Kolivan and my mum, the Garrison, the Coalition and the Blades are doing all we can to get aid over as soon as possible but there is a lot of ground to cover, way more than we can handle without over-stretching our resources. We’re still working on getting new recruits but progress is going slower than we hoped. With our current members, it could take _decades_ before we are able reach out to all those civilizations. We could… we could really use someone with your skills and experience on the team. It would help ensure the success of our missions and increase efficiency by—”

“Are you serious?” Lance interrupts.

Keith looks up from where he’d been staring at Lance’s feet since he started rambling, only to see the incredulity written all over Lance’s face. Keith feels his hopes sink, but stands firm.

“Yes.”

“I don’t even have a drop of Galra blood in me!”

Keith narrows his eyes. “You know as well as I do that _that_ hasn’t been a requirement since the end of the war.”

“It’s been two years since I last touched the edge of a blaster, or any kind of weapon for that matter, unless you’re counting shovels and rakes.” Lance snorts, as if he found the whole thing to be a huge joke. Keith’s fists clenches tighter.

“Lance, you are the pilot of the Red Lion and a paladin of Voltron—”

“ _Was_ ,” Lance corrects.

“Fine! _Former_ paladin of a Lion of Voltron,” Keith throws his hands up, exasperated. “We were teammates for a long time. I _know_ perfectly well what we can do – what _you_ can do. And I know we can go a long way with your help if you’d—”

“Stop it.”

“Lance—”

“I said _stop_ ,” Lance’s eyes flash, face crumpling into a scowl so deep, it looked painful.

“I know you mean well but I… _I can’t_.”

Something in Keith snaps, patience finally giving way. “Why not?”

“You know why.”

“No, I _don’t_ know why.”

“Bullshit.”

Keith grits his jaw, anger spiking. “I don’t understand. This isn’t like you! The way you’ve been acting… I— everyone’s been worried. You look tired and defeated all the time! This isn’t what anyone wants for you and it’s definitely not what _Allura_ wanted when—”

“SHUT UP!” Lance screams, Keith’s breath hitches as Lance’s marks flare in his anger, effectively stunning Keith into silence. Lance’s whole body shook. “Don’t… don’t you _dare_ speak like that about her, as if you knew what she… you don’t have _any idea_ how— how _I_ …”

Despite the alarm bells in his head warning him to rein in his emotions, Keith feels his temper rising, the anxiety and frustration breaking free from their binds and driving him to recklessly plow on.

“You’re right, I don’t have any idea. I have _no idea_ what she wanted and I have _no idea_ what you’re thinking now. It doesn’t change the fact that this _can’t go on_. You don’t look like… like you’re _here_ anymore _._ I might not know Allura the same way you do but she was an important friend! And I _know_ that if she was here, she’d be beating some sense into you right now!”

For a brief moment Keith thought Lance was going to punch him. He knew he might have crossed some lines with his words but he didn’t care. He _needed_ to say them and Lance _needed_ to hear them. It didn’t matter if Lance hated him for it, something _had_ to change.  

To his utter dismay, Lance doesn’t punch him.

Instead, the former Paladin curls into himself, blue sparks from his marks dissipating rapidly in a pathetic whisper of Lance’s former self, dimming until nothing was left.

The Lance from another time would have risen to any challenge from Keith. But not this Lance.

This Lance turns soundlessly and walks off.

Keith goes cold, charged emotions draining away.

No, he couldn’t let Lance go.

_Not like this._

Snapping into action, Keith was beside Lance in an instant, grabbing his forearm and forcibly stopping him in his tracks. He feels the way Lance goes rigid through his grip. Lance doesn’t try to break free but stubbornly keeps his face turned downwards.

“Let me go,” Lance grinds out through gnashed teeth.

“Lance, don’t you realize what—”

“ _Don’t_.” Lance’s tone was harsh but there was no anger. Only a plea for mercy. “Just… just drop it. Please…”

“Lance…”

“Please!” Lance repeats. “ _Let go_.”

A long pause.

“I can’t do that,” Keith says finally.

Because he can’t. He could never let Lance go.  

At long last, Lance moves to face Keith, the expression on his face wrecked.

“Neither can I, Keith…” Lance says, emotion thick in his voice. “Neither can I...”

A wave of sorrow washes over him as he stares into those blue eyes, the pain and regret so clear to see as Keith is given access to what Lance has kept hidden all this time.   

Keith feels numb.

Lance gently pries the half-Galra’s slackened grip away from his upper arm and lowers it, but doesn’t let go.

“Allura…” Lance says quietly. “She deserved better.”

Keith struggled to find his voice, staring absent-mindedly at Lance’s long fingers around his wrist. “She did. We all know she did. But Lance… you deserve more too.”

Lance shrugs, not even deigning to respond. This irks Keith.

“Lance, I know you loved her – and still do – but you deserve a chance at happiness. I’m not asking you to forget everything but… you can’t just give up on yourself. _You need to move on._ ”

There. The words were finally out in the open.

To his astonishment, Lance laughs.

“You know, I can’t believe that _you_ , of all people, would be the one to tell me this.”

“Well… you’re my—” Keith stops. “—close friend. I just want what’s best for you.”

Sobering, Lance looks at Keith solemnly. “I know you’ve been trying hard for me — no, don’t even try to deny it, Keith, there’s only so many times the leader of the Blades can ‘happen to pass by Earth’ between missions — and honestly? I gotta say I’m baffled that you’d even bother going through all that for someone like _me_.”

Keith finds himself moving before he could even think. Shaking his wrist out of Lance’s hold, he clasps a hand over Lance’s, surprising the other man.

“ _You are worth it_ ,” Keith tells him seriously.

Lance jolts, eyes wide at the sincerity Keith was exuding. Perhaps it was then that Keith’s feelings – all his worry and concern, finally touches Lance; and Keith is rewarded with a smile. The most genuine he’d seen in a long time.

“Thank you.” Lance says, grateful.

For one fleeting moment, Keith dared to believe there might be hope.

But alas, it proved to be short-lived.

The smile on Lance’s face fades quickly, turning melancholic. He notices the exact moment Lance begins to retreat, walls coming back up. With his free hand, Lance pries Keith’s grip away once more but this time, he lets go, breaking their connection.

Lance withdraws, taking a step back, face full of remorse. “I’m sorry, Keith but I still… I can’t join you. That’s… that’s not where I belong now. My place is back on Earth. With my family.”

Keith doesn’t react. There were no more words left in him to convince the other man. He was never a great talker anyway, that was Lance. Or used to be Lance.

It’s been a long time since Keith had felt so helpless. He knew things were bad but not _this_ bad.

What do you say to someone who has already given up on life?

Once upon a time, Keith had been there – all alone and angry at the world, hating everything, deeming himself unworthy and undeserving, wondering what his purpose in life was. That was until he met Shiro. Shiro had turned his whole life around, teaching him not to give up on himself. It was a lesson Keith held close to his heart.

But Keith wasn’t Shiro. He couldn’t do for Lance what Shiro had once done for him. 

Shiro had told Keith to be patient, to give Lance time and space to heal from his wounds. But perhaps Lance’s wounds were the kind that would never heal. And Lance would never bounce back. 

“Maybe,” Lance says wistfully. “If things were different, then…” The words disappear into thin air. He shakes his head, as if ridding himself of useless thoughts, and gives Keith a final smile. It was sincere but cold.

Dead.

“I’ll see you at the next anniversary celebration, Keith.”

The implication of those words crushes Keith.

Keith watches as Lance walks away, unknowingly taking a piece of Keith’s heart along with him.

Standing alone under the starry darkness of the night, Keith felt as if he had just lost a very important part of himself.

In reality, he'd probably already lost it two years ago, but still, the loss had never felt as real as it did then.  

**********

Hours later, Keith laid wide awake in bed.

His conversation with Lance plays repeatedly in his head, the expression on the other man’s face haunting him. Keith was resigned to his fate, knowing he won’t be getting any rest that night.

The room was cold despite being equipped with the best heating equipment Altea had to offer. Keith figured it was more of a problem with his current state of mind rather than the tech. Fortunately, he still had comfort in the form of his trusted space-wolf, the large pup lying heavily on Keith’s lower body, blissfully unaware of its size and weight. Keith didn’t mind it though, needing something to ground him to reality.

He scratched behind the wolf’s ears, lost in thoughts. For the umpteenth time, he recalls his exchange with Lance. A painful knot had wedged itself in Keith’s chest ever since but Keith stubbornly ignored it, choosing instead to focus on the more important things.

All he wished is for Lance to be able to move on and live life again. It was too early for the former Paladin to give up; he was a capable, young man who still had his whole life ahead of him. Was there really no way to make Lance see that?  

In his highly tensed state, he doesn’t notice when his hands had devolved from scratching to literally _clawing_ until a high-pitched yelp echoed against the walls. Seeing clumps of blue fur stuck between his fingers and in his nails, Keith realizes his mistake.

“Shit! Sorry, bud. Guess my mind’s been elsewhere tonight.”

Kosmo whines accusingly but relents and allows Keith to stroke apologetically where fur had been scraped off, ears twitching as if to ask what was bothering Keith so much. Keith takes the invitation.

“It’s... Lance.” To which Kosmo lets out a noise which sounded like a snort. “Hey!” Keith cries, indignant. “Okay, I know I’m always talking about him but… I’m really worried. He’s getting worse and he’s put this… mental block on himself. I don’t think he’ll ever recover if we just leave him be. I know Shiro told me to wait but I can’t just sit by anymore. And it’s just… it’s _Lance_ , goddamnit.”   

Kosmo watches Keith with beady eyes, looking for all intents and purposes as if it fully understood whatever its master was saying.

“Do you ever wonder what would happen if things turned out differently?” Keith asks suddenly. “Like, if mum had never left me or if dad hadn’t died in that fire. Would I still have become a paladin? Would I have met everyone? Shiro. Lance. Hunk, Pidge, Allura, Coran… even you, buddy.”

Kosmo purrs.

“I’m glad things turned out the way they did – for me, at least. But Allura… she didn’t deserve what happened to her.”

Silence fills the room, Keith stopping his ministrations.

“It never should have happened,” he says decisively, as if stating a fact of life. “Why did things end up this way? Where did we go wrong?”

The wolf lifts its head, regarding its master silently, thoughtfully. Keith doesn’t notice.

“I wonder if there’s a reality out there where things were different? A reality where Allura didn’t… and Lance won’t…” he trails off, and then laughs grimly. “What am I even talking about? After what happened to Honerva, I should know better but _fuck_ , I think I kind of understand where she was coming from. If I was given a chance to make things right… I think I’d do it. Then Allura would still be here. She’ll be the Queen she’s meant to be. And Lance… maybe Lance would be by her side and they’ll rule over Altea together,” Keith’s heart twinges at the thought but he shoves it down, guilt and self-disgust welling up. There were more important things to consider than his own selfish desires.

“Anyway, it’d be better than whatever’s happening now. The team will be together and our yearly meet-ups won’t have to feel like we’re remembering how we lost her. And Lance… Lance will be _happy_.”

And deep-down inside, though Keith will deny it vehemently, that’s what Keith really wants the most: for Lance to be happy.

Silence falls once more, Keith’s mind adrift after spilling his heart out. He was so lost in his own mindscape that he didn’t notice anything amiss until a dark shadow obscured his view.

“Wha—?” Keith barely had time to register what was happening when a blue glow blinds him, emanating from the wolf looming above him on all fours. It was the same glow Keith was used to seeing whenever the wolf prepared to teleport – except this time, the glow shone so bright it filled the entire room.

Keith gasps just as the light envelops him and everything disappears into nothing.

**********

When Keith came to, he found himself lying face-down on concrete.

Memories of a strange blue glow rushing back, Keith straightened up quickly, taking in his new surroundings. 

The concrete turned out to be the ground of a familiar-looking courtyard, complete with a familiar-looking fountain laying smack in the center; benches and flower patches circling it. The place was (thankfully?) empty, warm sunlight beating down from above, meaning that it would be some time in the afternoon if this was Earth.

Wait a minute.

“Is this… the Garrison?”

Did his space-wolf teleport him all the way to Earth? It’s never happened before – Keith, believing the wolf’s teleporting abilities to be limited to a certain distance. If it turns out that Kosmo could actually teleport further than he’d initially thought then… well, it wouldn’t be the most surprising thing to happen.  

Keith skims the area for his four-legged companion of several years, the wolf usually sticking by his side after teleporting. He wasn’t disappointed.

Kosmo sat a few feet away, staring at its master. The wolf was completely still.

“Hey, bud. Where did you—” Keith froze. Something was wrong.

Reaching a hand out to stroke the wolf, Keith’s jaw drops when his hand passes right through what should have been solid fur. The wolf had no tangible form and if Keith looked closely, it looked translucent. Almost _ghostly_.  

“What’s going on?!”

“Who’s there?” a voice rings out. 

Heart lurching, Keith instantly leaps to his feet, just as the owner of the new voice appears – a young boy in Garrison uniform. From the minimal stripes on his sleeve, Keith deduced that the boy was a cadet.

“You’re—” the cadet stops short when he catches sight of Keith’s face. Eyes widening comically, the young boy immediately stands at attention, arms straight and clasped tightly to his sides, gaze turned upward. “Uh, M-mr. Kogane— Voltron Captain, leader, s-sir! I d-didn’t realise it was you!”

“Yeah, um…” Keith squints at the cadet, trying to remember if he’s seen the boy before but nothing clicks. “Hey, listen. Is this the… Garrison courtyard?”

“West Courtyard, sir!” the cadet answers immediately, chancing a glance at Keith. When he does, he gasps audibly. “S-sir? Is— is everything okay?”

“Huh?” It was then Keith realized that he was _still_ in his sleeping clothes – a simple black shirt and pants and barefooted, having been in bed just moments ago. Embarrassed, he flushes. “Everything’s fine. Just— taking a walk with my wolf.”

“Your… wolf…?” the cadet looks around with a puzzled expression.

“Right here—” Keith gestures at the wolf when it hits him. Could it be that the cadet couldn’t _see_ the currently half-corporeal wolf?

What happens next might have been a stroke of pure luck or a case of Kosmo having a few more abilities than Keith had ever counted on – it was something that Keith will never find out. But in that moment, Keith was saved from having to explain away an awkward situation when a sudden blast of blue bursts into the space between him and the cadet and the next thing he knew, he was holding up a big bundle of wolf, happily licking at his arms and face.

“Wh–?!” Beyond confused, Keith’s eyes bulge at the ghostly wolf still sitting silently on the ground and the second – physically real – wolf, in his arms.

There were _two_ space wolves _?_    

Reeling, Keith is hit with sudden desperation for some time alone to reassess the situation.

“Yes, my wolf right here,” Keith juts a chin at the big ball of fur. ”As you can see, I’m a little busy now so… you should be on your way.”

“Of course, sir! Apologies for interrupting your rest, sir! Tomorrow will certainly be a big day for the paladins of Voltron!”

 _That_ was a term which hadn’t been used to describe him for quite some time now. Not since the Lions had left of their own volition a whole year ago. 

Suspicions growing, Keith tilts his head in question. “Big day?”

“Everyone knows Team Voltron and selected members of the Coalition are leaving for space tomorrow. The war must be ended once and for all! We will defeat the Galra and bring peace to the universe! Sir!”

Hold up.

Hold the _fuck_ up.

“What are you talking about? The Galra are—” Keith stops and frowns, checking his surroundings once more.

Upon closer inspection, the courtyard _did_ look a little different – certainly a lot _newer_ than Keith last remembered it. As if it had just been built. As if it hadn’t been used much— oh.

 _Oh_.

It hits him then.

“Cadet, what’s the date today?”  

“It’s the XX of XXXX, sir!”

Suspicions confirmed, Keith’s heartbeat accelerates, beating wildly against his ribcage. Whipping around to the form of the ghostly wolf sitting on the ground and then to the second wolf in his arms, still rubbing its head against Keith’s chest in a bid for attention, it was all the confirmation he needed.

He’d been _sent back in time._

More specifically, he’d been sent back to that last day on Earth before team Voltron left for their final fight.

Mind whirling, Keith jerks back towards the cadet, blood running hot with impatience and a strong desire to _move, move, move_. “Well, what are you waiting for? Get on with it! War doesn’t wait for anyone!”

“Y-yes, sir!” the cadet scurries away in fright but Keith doesn’t care. There’s no time for that.

Precious _time_.

Keith turns to the second Kosmo – the Kosmo from _this_ time, and then to the one which had sent him here.

Perhaps this shouldn’t have come as a surprise. Perhaps Keith should have known – that a creature, born between the folds of the universe where the laws of space and time ran askew, would possess exactly that – the power to warp through not only space, but time as well. 

“Buddy, you have no idea what you’ve just given me,” Keith says to the still eerily unmoving-form; gratitude, exhilaration and disbelief brimming in him all at the same time. It was a lot to take in and he hoped he wasn’t going to wake up suddenly to find all of this a dream.

A sudden sharp whine from the previously unmoving wolf caused Keith to jump and a blinding light flashes.

When the light dwindles and Keith could see again, he gasps. The ghostly-wolf had _shrunk._ If the wolf was previously the size of a pony then it was only the size of a small lion now. Just about the size the wolf had been during the end of the war. It looked as if the wolf had de-aged, as if it had _regressed._ The ghostly-wolf whines again, its tone urgent.

And Keith understood: it was a warning.  

This, whatever this miracle was, wasn’t _permanent_. There was a limit to what the wolf could do and time was running out.

Keith straightened. He didn’t have a single minute to waste.

He had to find _Allura_.

**********

Keith never truly realised how big the Garrison grounds were until now; being forced to cross it undetected by an entire battalion of Earth’s best soldiers bringing with it a newfound appreciation, as well as frustration.

Diving behind a nearby bench, Keith holds his breath as another group of officers pass him by.

Keith couldn’t afford to be seen. The fact that Keith looked older (if anyone looked closely enough) aside – he’d heard all sorts of theories about time travel. If any of those theories were even half-right, then every little slip-up had the potential to greatly affect the outcome of the future. He’d already made contact with that one cadet so that couldn’t be helped anymore. It just meant there was no more room for any more mistakes.

Keith knew there were severe risks in what he was attempting to do but if there was a small chance to right the wrongs of the past; to give them that much-needed extra edge in their impending fight, then Keith will _take_ the risks.

That didn’t mean Keith could throw caution to the wind though, the risks taken would have to be calculated – hah, Pidge would be so proud of him. And so, while it was a big pain in the butt, as much as possible, Keith had to avoid contact with people from this time.

Except for Allura, of course.    

Keith shrinks further into the shadows as yet another group of Garrison somebodies passed by, pressing himself prone against the back of the bench.

After many bumps and obstacles, his destination – the dormitories, where he was _hoping_ Allura would be – is within sight, just opposite from where he laid hidden between a bench and a vinyl fence lining the pathway towards the dorms. He just needed to get across one last empty lawn, which stretched across an area of about two hundred meters from where he hid, and then he was home-free. If only all these people would go away!

Keith glanced at the ghostly-form beside him, still watching him eerily. Save for the sudden bouts of ‘regression’, the wolf did not move or make any sound. Right now, after going through a series of these relapses, the wolf was looking younger than ever. If Keith’s memory served him right, the wolf was now at the size it had been when Keith first exited the Quantum Abyss. The wolf’s ‘regressions’ were happening rapidly and Keith couldn’t bring himself to think of what would come next once they reached its end.

For now, he had to concentrate on finding Allura.

As Keith waited for the coast to clear, he notices how cool the air had become, the sun dipping low in the distance. It would be setting soon.

How ironic it was that out of all days, _this_ was the day Keith ended up returning to. A day that remained fresh in Keith’s memories – cursed, yet blessed. It was the day Lance had his first date with Allura and the day the pair finally transitioned into a romantic relationship.

Of course Keith would remember this day.

Memories of a sunset; of blue eyes and small smiles; of understanding and heartbreak; of bittersweet acceptance and a silent vow to forever hold his peace, filled his mind.

But now was not the time for reminiscing.

A low whine resounded from behind and Keith turned to it, coming face-to-face with the other wolf – the wolf from this time – which remained loyally by his side as he crept his way around the Garrison compound. Smiling fondly, Keith scratched the back of the wolf’s ears.

“Hey there, buddy. Shouldn’t you be somewhere else? I’m sure the, uh, me from this time would be missing you.”

Keith looks up at the open sky, orange glow beginning to filter through the clouds. He knew the Keith from this time would be with Black right about now, gazing into the horizon and waiting for that one magical moment when day gives way to the night, covering the world with a burning afterglow; the Keith from this time who would very soon be joined by the person he loved more than anything in the world, but to whom he could never admit his feelings to; the Keith from this time who would soon learn that to love did not necessarily mean to have, but to let go.  

A different light begins to glow and Keith immediately closes his eyes, having become used to it by now. When he opens them, the ghostly-wolf had deteriorated further – to the form it had been when Keith first met it on the space whale.

The wolf’s magic was almost at its end.

It was time for drastic measures.

Checking to see if the coast was clear, Keith spots a group of uniformed personnel still chattering at the other end of the pathway leading to the female dorms, several hundred meters away. If he ran fast enough and if no one turned around to look properly, perhaps Keith wouldn’t be noticed. It was a long shot but one that he must take. There was no more time.

Without another moment’s hesitation, Keith makes a mad dash towards the dormitories.

The ghostly-wolf was nowhere to be seen – it disappeared whenever Keith moved but Keith knew it was around. He could sense its presence. The other wolf wasn’t anywhere to be found either, probably taking Keith’s words to heart and returning to its original master. He was alone.

Keith was almost all the way across the lawn, so close to the entrance of the dormitory that he could probably jump and reach it, when the doors began to slide open, but not of Keith’s doing. Voices began to fill the air.

Keith stuttered in his steps, almost tripping on himself. Head darting left and right, he turns frantic when he realized there was nothing within reach that could possibly act as cover before he was seen.

It was over.

And then everything flashed blue.

In a blink of an eye, Keith finds himself dumped unceremoniously onto the ground for the second time that day with a loud “oof!”

He barely had time to gather his wits about him when there was a loud gasp; Keith catching sight of blue fur and a solid, final lick lands on his face before the blue flashes away. The next thing he knew, he was being seized by the arm, a knee digging roughly into his back as his captor pins him face-down on the floor.

“Who goes there?”

Keith froze. The words were spoken by a familiar voice – a voice he had not heard in two years. With bated breath, he twists his neck and is greeted by the face of the very person he’d been seeking.

“Allura,” Keith almost chokes on the name, taking in the features of the beautiful woman who was currently holding him trapped in a powerful arm-lock. She looked exactly the same, save for the pretty light-pink dress she wore. She must have been preparing for her date with Lance, just as Keith had guessed.

Allura gasps in surprise when she realized who she had underneath her, grip loosening slightly. “Keith?! What are you doing her—” Trailing off, she scrutinizes Keith’s appearance and her grip tightens anew. “You’re _not_ Keith.”

“Allura, listen to me—”

“Who are you and what do you want?!” Allura demands.    

“No! I’m not your enemy! Listen— I know this sounds crazy but I come from the future!”

Allura’s eyes flash dangerously. “You’re right. It _does_ sound crazy and I don’t believe a word of it.” She winds Keith’s arm tighter, causing him to cry out in pain. “Tell me the truth!”

“I _am_ telling the truth!” Keith wheezes, struggling to pull free from Allura’s strong grasp but it proved futile.

“Lies! I’m calling for backup.”

“Wait, _stop_! If you do that, our whole future could be at risk!”

Allura ignores him and reaches for her communicator.

“You’re making a mistake—!”At wits end, Keith lashes out. “If this doesn’t work, we’ll lose Lance!”

Allura stops just before turning on her communicator.

Brows knitted tight, she glares at Keith over his locked shoulder. “What in the world do you mean by that?”

“I know this is hard to believe but I’m from the future, a little more than two years from now. After leaving Earth tomorrow, you and the team will begin to find clues to Honerva’s plan. She wants to open a portal to other realities so that she can find Lotor and in the process, cause a rip in the fabric of space and—”

“She what?!” Allura interjects. “That’s impossible!”

“It’s not! Honerva _will_ find a way to do it and when she succeeds, it will put the entire universe at jeopardy. You and the rest of the team will have to fight her—”

Just then, the ghostly-form of the wolf materializes beside him, its whines shriller and more urgent than ever before. It was time.

Damn it, he wasn’t done yet!

“Shit! Allura, I’m running out of time— just!” The urgency of the situation giving him the extra push, he bucks up and finally manages to throw Allura off. Twisting, he grabs at her shoulders, wild eyes meeting Allura’s shocked ones. Keith feels the weight of all his emotions implode like a huge explosion in his chest. There was still so much he needed to tell! “In the future, you _die_ in the final fight!”

Allura stares at him, shell-shocked.

“You sacrifice yourself to restore the realities destroyed by Honerva and Lance never gets over losing you! He lives his days grieving, regretting – he never moves on! He quits being a paladin and quits the Garrison, stops being the Lance we know! His spirit _died_ along with you so no matter what happens, you _can’t_ die! You have to make it through! For your sake and for his!”

As Keith rushes the words out, the room glowed brightly, white light emanating from the wolf.

“Allura, promise me you’ll live!”

Allura was speechless, stunned by the revelation. “I-I—”

“PROMISE ME!”

Allura’s pretty pink-blue irises stared straight into Keith’s violet ones, boring deep as if she was seeing through into his soul. The glow was blinding now, high-pitched wails piercing the air like nails on a chalkboard but Keith needed to hear Allura say it, _needed_ the confirmation—

“I promise you.”

The last thing Keith sees is the determination in Allura’s eyes.

Everything turns black.

**********

When consciousness returns, Keith jack-knifes out of bed.

And is promptly assaulted by the _mother-of-all-migraines_.

“Ughh!” Why in the name of all that is _holy_ did his head feel as if a _cleaver_ was splitting it into two?

Palms pressing hard against eyeballs, he attempts to will the pain away – if you pretend something’s not there then it _isn’t_ there. He had more urgent matters to attend to.

Letting his hands fall, Keith ignores the pounding and eyes the Altean bedroom – his jacket still hung on one side of the wall, the pristine desk littered with his belongings on the other, the shoes he’d worn last night remained lying on the floor where they landed after he’d thrown them off – everything was still the _same_.

Jumping out of bed (and wincing at the resulting pain it caused), Keith snatched at the curtains, revealing familiar Altean scenery outside his window. Unwilling to give up, he grabs his communicator from the desk, irately swiping through all the blinking notifications without even reading them and checks the date – it was the day after the annual end-of-war celebration.

Keith feels his heart sinking.

Nothing had changed.

Had he failed?

A weak whine interrupted his churning thoughts. Whirling around to the source of that noise, Keith stops still.

His space-wolf lay crouched at the foot of his bed. For some reason, the once navy-coloured layer of fur covering its body was now completely _white_.

Throwing himself down at its side, Keith inspects the wolf. Kosmo was back to its usual size and looked exactly the same as when it had teleported Keith away, except for the colour of its fur.

One thing’s for sure now – it _hadn’t_ been just a dream.

Heart swelling, he stroked the wolf’s pure-white coat. Keith wasn’t sure what kind of consequences enabling time-travel carried but it must have come with a price. “… thank you, buddy.”

Kosmo squeaks and licks at Keith’s hand, as if to assure Keith that everything would be okay. Soon enough, the licking rapidly turns into nudging, a clear indication for Keith to go _outside_.

Keith doesn’t need telling twice. Leaving the wolf to rest, he bolts from the room without even bothering to dress up. 

Sprinting through hallways, he scans the Altean castle. Every bit of it still looked the same as the night before; every bit of non-change he sees dashing his hopes further.

To make things worse, the throbbing in his head was increasing in magnitude, flashes of light and strange images clouding the edges of his vision – was he starting to hallucinate? His senses were being overloaded, blurring the lines between reality and imagination.

Agitated, he continues running aimlessly, until he spots Hunk. The bigger man was coming from the opposite direction, dressed in the same clothes he wore to dinner last night. Yet another non-change.

“Whoa, whoa, Keith! Where are you going in such a hurry?” Hunk came to a stop in front of Keith, a large book tucked under his arm.

“Hunk! I— I’m looking for…”

How should he begin? If it was true that nothing had changed, then…

No. Enough running.

He _had_ to know.

Straightening his back, he plunges.  “Is Allura…?”

“Allura? ‘Think I saw her heading to the garden on my way to the library,” Hunk gestures at the book he held. “She’s probably at the usual spot doing some reading. God knows she needs some peace and quiet after all those diplomatic meetings—”

Hunk is still talking but Keith stops dead, barely hearing anything past the first line.

Allura was in the garden.

Allura was _in the garden_.

Allura was… alive.

“Is everything okay?” Hunk leans in closer, the fact that Keith wasn’t listening catching on. His features were scrunched up in concern, “You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”  

“Yup, never better,” Keith manages. “I’ll catch up with you later, Hunk.”

Leaving the confused chef behind, Keith retraced his steps from last night to the garden, adrenaline pumping in his veins.

Once there, Keith sees her immediately.

Underneath that same tree which he’d sat under with Lance just the night before, was the silhouette of a friend long-lost. She had her back facing Keith, head bent down.

Keith surges forward. There were a million questions in his mind, a million things to say but when he gets within earshot, all of them dissolve.

“Allura!”

Allura turns, a look of surprise on her face which quickly turns into alarm when Keith flies into her arms, sending the book in her lap tumbling to the ground.

“Keith?! What is going on?”

“ _Allura_ ,” he repeats breathless, arms wrapped awkwardly around Allura’s shoulders. “Y..you’re…”

“What— _”_ the Altean leader stops. “Wait, Keith, are you…?”

The question trails off as she examines his appearance, understanding beginning to dawn. “Of course,” she mutters. “It’s the second anniversary of the end of the war… Keith, you— you’ve just come back, haven’t you?”

The words were cryptic but the implications clear. Keith nods mutely.

“ _I should have known._ ” With glimmering eyes, Allura draws him back into a proper hug. “I have waited _so long_ for this day. Keith, you saved my life.”

 _No_ , Keith wants to say but couldn’t, tongue-tied.

They stay like that, allowing themselves this moment of reunion, until Allura places firm hands on Keith’s shoulders and pushes him back, expression serious. “Keith, we have much to talk about. Now that you’re here, I think it’s safe to say that the future you once knew has changed.”

 _Yes_. And then Keith freezes, a thought suddenly striking him.

“Is—is everything okay? What else has changed? Oh _fuck_ , did we win the war?”

“Huh? Of course we won the war! I literally said two ticks ago that it’s the second anniversary of the end of the war, weren’t you listening?”

“Oh yeah… Great, that’s— that’s great.”

Phew.

“Yes, now that we’ve gotten _that_ out of the way,” Allura eyes him, offended, before settling the both of them down comfortably. “After I got your warning, I learnt everything I could about dimension warping and time travel. Every spare moment I had, I spent on research. It was a race against time to learn as much as possible before Honerva acted on her plan but ultimately, it gave us the advantage we needed to take her down.”

“Honerva! Is she—?”

“Gone,” Allura affirms. “It was one of the toughest battles we’ve ever had but one in which we prevailed, though not without a cost.”

“Shit, is the team—?”

“The team is fine.”

Keith was about to ask more when a voice interrupts him yet again.

“Allura? Allura, where are you?”

Keith spins around just as a tall figure ambles up to them from behind, catching him off-guard. 

“ _Lotor_!” Jumping to his feet, Keith takes a defensive stance. “What is _he_ doing here?”

“Allura?” Lotor frowns, eyeing Allura and then Keith with apprehension.

“Yes, I’m here,” Allura had gotten up, placing one hand on Lotor’s upper arm and stopping Keith with the other when it looked like he was about to protest. At her touch, the tension in Lotor’s posture promptly melts away.

It was then Keith noticed something strange. Lotor looked exactly the same, though he was dressed in formal Altean attire, but the air around him was very different. The usually regal Galran prince now stood with shoulders hunched, eyes traumatized and face a perfect picture of anxiety personified. This wasn’t the confident and haughty heir to the Galran throne Keith had witnessed in action during the Kral Zera. He looked to Allura questioningly but she shook her head, the meaning clear: _I’ll explain later_.

“Prince Lotor,” she says in a gentle tone. “What are you doing here? Should you not be in the study?”

“Y..yes. We were having a session on Altean beasts and the Professor was starting on a lecture about the KlanmÃeirl when I was… overcome with the sudden need to see you. To— to make sure that you were safe. I snuck out when he wasn’t looking.”

“You shouldn’t do that,” Allura reprimands but there was no hint of surprise in her voice. This was obviously a common occurrence. “Coran will be worried to find you gone. Come, we must return to him.” She leans over to Keith, whispering. “I’m sorry, Keith, but if you would just give me a dobaash – I’ll take him back in.”

Bewildered by this turn of events, Keith simply nods, watching as Allura heads back into the castle with Lotor in tow. Just as they crossed the square, a group of Altean guards appear in the courtyard and Keith is pleasantly surprised to see _Coran_ (looking just the same as Keith remembers him) running up to greet them.

Keith sat watching idly as the group of Alteans disappeared into the castle when a sudden, powerful pulsing overcomes his senses.

Pressing tight hands against either side of his temples, he groans in pain when a sudden flurry of images flood his mind unbidden, without sequence or context – one moment, there were multiple hostile cruisers shooting at Black and the next, a huge battle going on between team Voltron and Honerva’s army of brainwashed Alteans, and then next, a meeting with the Blade of Marmora chaired by Kolivan and Krolia and then strangely enough, recollections of camping – lots of camping – with a certain former Red Paladin.

The visions played in his mind like a fast-forwarded movie, flashing at rapid-fire speed as one scene swiftly turned into another and another and another, some visions lasting longer than others. The scenes were all foreign but at the same time felt so distinctly familiar, like déjà vu. 

Just as abruptly as it came, the visions vanish, leaving only a dull throbbing in his skull, and a lot of confusion.

Keith didn’t understand what the visions meant but they certainly didn’t feel natural. Perhaps the headache was causing him to see things (or maybe it was the other way around); perhaps he was plain-simple losing his mind; or perhaps travelling through time caused side-effects which temporarily addled the brain; or perhaps… he should just check with Allura. With the research she had done, she might know something. Keith could only hope that any side-effects wouldn’t be too terrible.   

While waiting, Keith soaks up the garden surroundings in an effort to distract himself. Everything truly was the same – the floating blue crystals, the giant lake, the tree, just, _everything_. It felt so surreal that the only change Keith had seen so far was Allura and Lotor. What were the chances that the only thing he set out to change _was_ the only thing that ended up being changed? Surely, there must be more, Keith just hasn’t seen it yet.       

As he was contemplating the possibilities, a thundering rumble from above catches his attention. Squinting against the morning rays, Keith’s eyes widen when a huge shadow hurtles towards him at the speed of light, ground shaking as the shadow drew closer, a loud roar echoing in the distance.

It was the Red Lion.

Keith’s jaw dropped. He hadn’t seen any of the Lions since they flew off a year ago but clearly, in this time, the Lions had stuck by their side.

As the giant beast and 1/5th of Voltron lands grandly in an open field just by the lake, Keith’s heart begins to hammer at what the arrival of the Red Lion meant.

With quick but jittery footsteps, he slides down the hilly grasslands, crossing the slope towards the Red Lion. He barely makes it to the foot when a figure jumps out of Red’s open maw.

Lance lands neatly on the ground and immediately zooms in on Keith.

“Keith! Where in the _world_ have you been?!” Lance bursts out, looking extremely harried. “I’ve been ringing up your communicator ALL morning! Why didn’t you answer my calls? Or respond to my messages?”

“Huh?” Keith blinks, unprepared for the sudden barrage. “My—?”

“Oh my God, Keith, for the last time, would you just turn off your _quiznaking_ silent mode!? What is the point of a communicator if you’re not going to at least attempt some form of communication?! Kolivan will have _both_ our asses if this keeps up!”

“I don’t—” Keith stops. Wait a minute. “What are you _wearing_?”

Lance frowns, glancing down at himself. “What?”

Keith stares, awestruck. Lance looked just the same, except that he was wearing a Marmoran uniform – the one reserved only for the highest-ranking officers of the Blade – and to top it off, holstered on either side of his suit was a medium-length sword and a hand-gun. It was a _very nice_ view. One that suited Lance perfectly.

Patting himself down consciously and finding nothing off, Lance shoots a critical look at Keith. “I don’t see anything wrong with my suit? And nevermind me, what are _you_ wearing?”

At Lance’s nudge, Keith noticed for the first time that he was _still_ in his bed-clothes, rumpled and smudged with dirt – more evidence that last night’s phenomenon had indeed happened.

Lance gasps out loud. “Hold on, is that _blood_? Keith, did you – why are you _barefooted_?”

Oh. Keith hadn’t noticed until Lance pointed it out but the skin of his heels were horribly scraped, broken from constant friction on rough, sharp gravel; an end-result from traversing the expanse of the Garrison grounds in nothing but sleep wear.

“I swear to God!” Lance exhales loudly even as he kneels by Keith’s feet. Startled, Keith opens his mouth to ask what Lance thought he was doing when twin blue beams shone from Lance’s face and Keith realizes with a start that this Lance _still_ had Altean marks.

Lance touches warm hands on either side of Keith’s ankles, encompassing his feet in the same blue-light. A warm tingling runs up to Keith’s knees for just a few moments and then the sensation was gone, leaving behind mended skin.

Keith’s eyes widen. “How did you—?”

“Hmm? Why do you look so surprised? It’s not like this is the first time?” Lance raises an eyebrow.

It isn’t? “Uh…” Keith sweats, grasping at straws for a good excuse as Lance frowns suspiciously. “I mean, um…”

The longer Keith fumbled for words, the more Lance seemed to perk up with glee.

“Oh, I get it. You can’t take it when _I’m_ the one doing cool junk, eh? It’s okay, I understand.” Lance wiggles his eyebrows, cheeky grin spread on his face.

Like a bottle of wine popping open, Keith feels the emotions soar high in his chest without warning. The cocky smug Lance wore – the one Keith used to get annoyed over, the one Keith had not seen in too long – was dragging up something in him, something powerful. It was like a slap in the face – a good slap, but a slap nonetheless, and it was all Keith could do to prevent himself from grabbing the other man and shaking him silly. 

Instead, Keith reels himself in, and falls back on what used to be the usual for them.

“Are you joking? I was just… curious. Like, how does—“ Keith waves a hand at his healed feet. “— _that_ even work? It’s for knowledge," Keith ends, crossing his arms, a little hot under the collar at how lame that sounded even to his ears.

“Mmhmm, suuuuuure. As much as I would love to stay and watch you make up excuses, we don’t have time. Seriously, Keith. We need to get going.”

“Go where—?”

“ _Lance_!”

Both men turn around to see Allura skidding down the slope towards them, as quickly as she can without tripping on the skirts of her dress.

Lance immediately brightens. Leaving Keith’s side, he runs to meet her halfway.

Keith watches as if in slow-motion as Allura jumps into Lance’s arms and Lance catches her before twirling around, both laughing blissfully without a care of anything else around them, looking every bit the part of a pair of newly-reunited lovers.

Keith’s heart drops like a rock into his stomach.

Ah.

The happy smiles, the Altean marks on Lance’s cheeks.

Of course.

This was the ending he had predicted, the ending he had decided to pursue, no matter what.

_No matter what._

Keith felt like he was intruding on a private moment.  

Taking a step back, he averts his eyes from the happy couple and shoves the heaviness threatening to overwhelm him back into the deepest recesses of his heart, where it belonged, and locking it up.

Allura was here, the war was won and Lance looked happier than ever.

And that’s all that matters.

“We missed you at dinner last night,” Allura was saying. Keith peeks out of the corner of his eye to see that the two had parted, but one of Lance’s arms remained hooked around Allura’s waist.  

Keith furiously swallows the lump forming in his throat, inwardly kicking himself. He’d been through this once, he can do it again.    

Keith is torn out of his thoughts when Lance turns to him suddenly.

“Well, yeah. I would have loved to attend but thanks to our Leader here working me to the bone, it couldn’t be helped. Had to make my super-secret delivery before rushing back here with Red as soon as I could.”

Lance looked like he was waiting for Keith to say something. Fortunately, Allura remembered that Keith’s wasn’t as filled in as he should be about the current happenings of this time and swooped in to save him.

“Lance, could you please give me a moment with Keith?” She touches the arm Lance had around her waist, Keith’s eyes drawn helplessly to the subtle contact.

“Oh, is this another one of those top-secret-only-VIPs-can-be-in-on-it kind of thing?”

“You could say that.”

Lance looked reluctant but dutifully obeys. “As you wish, my Queen.” Taking a step back, he flourishes his hands in an exaggerated manner and bows, causing Allura to chuckle. “Please go on with what you must but if I may, I would like to most humbly request for his return as soon as possible. Kolivan will throw a fit if we put off the debrief any longer than we already have.”

“I will.”

Lance smiles radiantly before turning to Keith, sharp nose raised high, and poking Keith in the chest with a long finger.

“We’re calling Kolivan _immediately_ after,” Lance deadpans with a sharp jab, then disappears into the garden.

“Come,” Allura beckons, leading them back under the tree. “Keith, I need to know everything you know about your time before you met me.” 

Keith was prepared to launch into his explanation when a sharp pain crashes into the back of his eyes like a tidal wave and he folds over, clutching his head and gasping.

More images flash through his mind on full display, except this time, with breakneck speed. Keith’s mind spun out-of-control, intense pressure from the visions blocking out all other senses – he sees Honerva screaming at him and the rest of the team in a battle-wrecked room; sees the MFEs coming for backup as enemy ships surrounded Voltron; sees Shiro and himself sitting in a living room, laughing at a joke; sees Lance and him bantering playfully in a hangar with Red; Lance and the rest of the team at the beach having a party; Lance and him in a Garrison meeting room dressed in the Blade’s uniform; Lance, Lance, _Lance_.

Warmth surrounds him.

A familiar warmth. Yet, different. 

The compression in his head recedes as the warmth wraps over his entire consciousness, soothing the pain and giving Keith much-needed respite, until the pressure lifts completely.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Keith opens his eyes to see Allura crouching over him, hands on either side of his head, glowing pink.

“Are you alright?” she asks worriedly, the glow fading from her hands.

“Y-yeah,” Keith rasps out, throat dry.  He pushes himself up from Allura’s lap, smiling at her appreciatively. 

 “What happened?” she demands, after ensuring Keith was okay.

Keith explained everything as best as he could – about the strange headache and about the strange visions (though he omitted mentioning that more than half of them involved Lance).

Allura listened intently. Once Keith finished his tale, they fell into silence, Allura having fallen deep into thought.

To Keith’s confusion, Allura starts laughing. “It is exactly as Slav says.”

“…Slav?”

“During my research, I procured Slav’s assistance – I stumbled across some findings that linked time warps to the existence of alternate realities. He was the only one I could think of with expertise in the field, though I never mentioned anything about you to him or anyone else,” Allura explained. “There was a time he said something that made quite the impression on me. He said: an infinite number of realities exist, far beyond the mind can ever imagine, and that time is only one of the many variables distinguishing one reality from another and keeping it stable. Which means that, hypothetically, the disturbance of any one of these elements could easily destroy the balance which holds the existence of a reality together.”  

Keith frowns, confused. “What does that mean?”

Allura looks at him gravely. “This is just my theory but… it means, by choosing to do what you did, you changed the outcome of your future and at the same time, caused the balance of _that_ reality to collapse. It is possible that the future you came from, that reality – it has now ceased to exist.”

Keith’s stomach lurches with the sudden urge to throw up. “You mean to say… that _I_ _destroyed_ a reality—”

“Oh no, let me stop you there.”

“Huh?”

“You see, if Slav’s theory was correct, then _you_ should have ceased to exist the moment your reality ceased to exist. But that didn’t happen. You’re right here.” Allura smiles gently. 

“… I guess?” Keith had never realized just how drastic the consequences of his actions were, until now.

“Before this, I had feared what would happen once the anomalies between our timelines intersected – whether Slav would be right and if I would ever get the chance to see you again. But the fact that you’re here with memories of your time still intact and that you’re having these visions… it sounds like where you came from and what we have now, they’ve both integrated into one single reality.”  

“...huh?”

“Those visions are your memories, Keith. Memories from _this_ time.”

“My… what?” This was getting more and more bizarre.

“That vision you had of a beach party? I’m guessing that was Varadero. You planned a surprise birthday party for Lance a few phoebs ago and invited all of us and Lance’s family. I’ve never seen Lance so happy.” Allura smiles knowingly.

Keith flushes and turns away. He did _what_?

“Your memories of this time might be muddled for now but I would harbor a guess that they will return. In other words, you’ll eventually remember who you are in this time. On that same theory, however, there is a chance your previous memories – those which diverge from this time – may cease to exist. If I am right, you may one day forget what you experienced in that timeline, including the fact that the future had been changed at all. And so will I.”

This was all so much to take in. Keith was glad to be sitting down, unsure whether his legs would support him with all these shocking revelations taking place one after another.

“I’m sorry,” Allura says, interpreting Keith’s silence as sadness. “I know there must have been things from your time you would have liked to—”

“No.”

Allura blinks. “No?”

“No,” Keith affirms. “Admittedly, there might have been some good things but in the end, after you left us, La— the team was never the same. I don’t think I can say with confidence that we were truly happy. So if, by some lucky shot, this reality turns out to be the one where everything works out right, then I’ll gladly leave behind the one from before.”

And Keith knows he’s right. He doesn’t have all his memories yet but something in the back of his mind told him that _this_ was where he had to be. If that meant losing some memories, then so be it.  

There was a profound happiness here that never existed before. He could feel it.

“Well, if you’re sure…” Allura relents. “I am in no position to argue. I’m— I’m really glad to be here.”  

Keith realized then just how all of this must feel for her. This whole experience might have been an ordeal for Keith but it was _nothing_ compared to what it meant to Allura. He smiled as encouragingly as he could.

“You were always meant to be here, with us. And that’s why we’re not gonna talk about my… past, anymore. We should focus on the future. _This_ future.”

“Right.”

For some time, neither of them spoke. Keith was half-expecting to wake up in his bed to find that everything was a dream when another vision floats into his mind’s eye. Perhaps it was because he knew what it was now but the vision came pleasantly this time, fluid and clear – he sees team Voltron sitting at the dinner table for their annual end-of-war celebration, Allura at the head, befitting of her position as the Queen of New Altea; everyone was enjoying their meals, laughing loudly as Coran chided them for bad table manners but no one really cared (not even Coran); all of them looked happy and content, including Lance, whose raucous laughter splits his face into a wide grin being the last thing he sees before the vision fades away.

Keith smiled at the new memory, looking out into the lake, Red parked peacefully beside it. The future certainly looked bright.

“So!” Allura claps her hands together suddenly, drawing Keith’s attention. There was a strange glitter in her eyes and Keith didn’t like the look of it at all. “I think it’s time for a change of subject. Let’s talk about you.” Allura’s eyes sparkled with eager curiosity. “Would I be correct to presume that you and Lance are together back where you came from?”

Keith chokes, setting off a fit of violent coughs. “ _W-what!?_ ”

“What?”

“W— we’re not like that!”

“Huh, that doesn’t add up,” Allura sticks her little finger into one ear, eyes squinted and head tilted to the side in disbelief.

“It’s true!”

“Really?” Allura sighs dramatically, eyes rolling skywards. “And here I thought the two of you will get your acts together in at least _one_ reality but I guess even that is too much to ask for.” An exaggerated groan. “ _How long more_ do I have to watch the both of you run circles around each other?”

Keith doesn’t want to know what Allura was insinuating and he wasn’t about to ask. “I mean it. There’s nothing between us.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Allura, Lance loves _you_.”

“ _WHAT_ ,” Allura screeches in disbelief, head whipping right back up. “Nooooooo.”

 “Didn’t you _see_ the way he was looking at you just two ticks ago?”

“The way he— what???”

“Lance was devastated after what happened— he was _never_ happy without you. It was bad enough that I went through all that trouble to—”

“—to change the future for Lance?”

“No! I changed the future to save you!”

“Keith, it’s okay, you don’t have to deny—"

“ _Allura_ ,” Keith hisses. “Look, that’s not the point. I’m just glad the two of you got the ending you deserved.” Keith musters up a smile to reassure her but it comes off more like a grimace.

Strangely though, Allura’s humor had turned to uneasiness, frown lines etched on her brows. “Okay, this isn’t funny. What are you saying, Keith?”

“It’s clear that you and Lance are happy together and we’re all—”

“—I think there’s been a misunderstanding,” Allura interjects. “Lance and I are _not_ together.”

“—rooting for yo—” Wait.

What.

What.

“……what?”

“We’re not together,” Allura repeats.

Keith doesn’t believe it. “But that _can’t_ be. Didn’t you go on that date together?”

“You mean that _one_ date? Yes, we did and we had an amazing time. To be honest, I was so distracted after your visit that I could hardly put my mind into it but Lance and his family are absolute darlings. But that’s all it was, just a date.”

“Just a…? Didn’t you…?” Keith makes a complicated twisting movement with his fingers before jamming them together. Fortunately, the message gets through. 

Allura was looking at him as if he’d grown another head. “Of course not! Is _that_ what happened where you came from? I can’t for the life of me imagine _why_ things would turn out that way.” Allura screws her nose, discontent. “We decided long ago that things won’t work between us. Lance understands me deeply and I would gladly give up my life for him. He is a dear _friend_ , and I won’t change that for anything in the world.”

“But Lance loves you so much.”

“And I love him too. Loving each other doesn’t mean we need to be together. We are not right for each other, not in _that_ way.”

“But—”

“Why is this so hard to believe?”

“Because… _because_ ,” Keith stammers to a halt, unable to find words to explain.

“Keith…” Allura takes his trembling hands (when had they started trembling?) in hers. “I understand. I’ve known about your feelings for him since the day you appeared in my room. Everything you said was about Lance, did you ever realise? It was so obvious so I just assumed that maybe the two of you were—”

“We were not,” Keith flushes hotly. “And who cares about that anyway? I was trying to save _your_ life—”

“And Lance’s happiness, yes, I am aware.”

“That’s not what this is about!” Keith rages, scandalized. “This is about _you_!”

 “Calm down, Keith, I’m just kidding! I know you care for me but it’s clear that Lance was an important reason that drove you to do what you did. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

Keith groans, slapping his hands to his face in shame and feeling like a big, bumbling idiot. Great, now he sounded like some shallow-minded lovesick idiot, traversing through space and time just to ensure the happiness of his unrequited target of love. Just great.

“Whatever, it doesn’t matter,” he says finally, pulling his hands away from his red face. “We’re not meant to be together. Lance doesn’t think of me that way.”

 “Why do you say that?”

“Because… he loves you?” Keith knows he’s just fixating on things at this point but what else was he expected to say?! He rushed to speak when it looked like Allura was about to object. “Allura, I wanted the _both_ of you to be happy, okay?  I never meant to— to create a reality where the two of you aren’t together anymore.”

“And yet here we are. Perhaps that is _precisely_ the problem. Perhaps _this_ is what needs to happen for _both_ me and Lance to truly be happy.”

 “You don’t know that.”

“Neither do you so why bother arguing? Now you listen to me, Keith. I don’t know what happened in your time but I can assure you that I’m perfectly happy as I am now, and I am certain Lance is too. Lance loves me but not in the way you think he does. Ask him yourself if you must! I’ve seen the way you act and it’s so clear to me just how much you love him, yet you insist on keeping your feelings buried away. And for what? Out of respect for me? If that’s what you think then I’m telling you right now: _go for it_. Show him how you feel. _This_ is your future now. Where it goes is up to you.”

At Allura’s little pep-talk, a small bud of hope bloomed involuntarily in Keith’s chest, the reality sinking in.

Was it really possible? Could he really do what he had once sworn off doing?

Was it really okay to stop shoving down what he felt and put his own needs before others for once?

Can he really be honest with his feelings?

He doesn’t get a chance to answer any of the questions. The sounds of thudding footsteps breaking him out of his thoughts, Keith looks up just in time to see Lance appear around the very trees he disappeared into earlier.

“I’m _really_ sorry, Allura, I tried to stall as long as I could but—” he stabs at the communicator in his hand, whispering harshly. “ _Krolia_ called, and she’s doing the mum-thing!”

“The mum-thing?”

“Y’know, the one where they give you that disappointed look and make you feel guilty for being irresponsible and shirking your duties and then you just feel really small and worthless and _I can’t take it any longer_! Keith, get your ass here right this instant!" Lance was in hysterics.

Leaving no room for Keith to protest, Lance hauls him up by the collar of his shirt. Despite the urgency of his words, he still manages to blow a kiss at Allura, who giggles and waves back as he stomps off.

Keith waves his arms about, trying desperately to catch his balance as Lance drags him away. Meeting Allura’s gaze, he sees her wink, mouthing a single word to him: “ _Go_.”

Keith makes up his mind.

Pulling himself free from Lance’s hold, he holds a dismissive hand up before the other man could argue. “I can walk by myself.”

“About time you did! And put some shoes on!”

“I would but you’re the one harping on about the debrief!”

“Put them on _after_ the debrief! To begin with, why weren’t you wearing— you know what? Nevermind! _God_ , I don’t know why I even bother sometimes!” 

“You’re the one who signed up for the job.” The words surprise Keith but he knows they were true. He doesn’t know how he knows, but he _knows_.

As if the heavens above were bestowing validation to his thoughts, another scene flashes before him – Keith and Lance were standing face-to-face in an empty Garrison meeting room, an embarrassed Lance swaying on his heels with a hand behind his neck as he asked Keith whether the Blades were accepting new members.

Keith feels his heart inflate.

“Guess I did, huh? What was I even thinking?” Lance whines as they arrive at the foot of the Red Lion, Red opening up immediately to grant them access. “Now, hurry up! We were supposed to be online like, _yesterday_!”

Keith obliges, following in after his Deputy into Red’s cockpit for the long overdue debrief.

He was lost, still missing vital memories of present time (none of his visions had given him any clue as to why Lotor was with them and he should probably be more worried over the fact that he actually had no idea what this debrief with Kolivan was even about) but going by the sense of fulfillment just the past hour had given him, Keith couldn’t wait to see what was in store for the rest of the future.

Filled with a renewed lease for life, Keith steps into Red.

**********

“Well, _that_ went great.” Lance says, reaching over from where he stood to press a button on Red’s controls, cutting off all video connections. “Glad to know Krolia’s not the type to hold back on the criticism even when it comes to her own son.”

“It’s work, Lance. We have to take it seriously.”

“Says the one who didn’t even bother to check his communicator. We wouldn’t have been in so much hot water if you’d just answered earlier!”

“Maybe I just got used to counting on you.”

“E-excuse me?”

“I’m used to counting on you? You’ve got it covered. You always do.” Keith shrugs.

“Are you… are you trying to get me to do all your dirty work? Is this some kind of trick?!”

“I’m saying that I know you have my back. You’ve always been my right-arm, Lance. Couldn’t have found anyone better for the job.”

Lance’s cheeks tint pink. “Okaaaaay, what’s gotten into you today? I’m still mad at you for getting us in trouble, alright?! Complimenting me isn’t gonna change that! What do you take me for? Nope, not falling for it! Nope, nope, nope!”

“I meant what I said,” Keith says seriously. “I’m… glad things turned out this way.”

Lance gives him a weird look, unsure what to make of Keith’s strange mood. “Uh, okaaay? I guess so? Can’t imagine what it would be like if things were different, really.”

Keith doesn’t answer. If Lance only knew the half of it.

“Well, as it is now, you’re stuck with good ol’ Lancey Lance.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“Hah! Even if I’m just a stupid boy from Cuba?”

“You’re not stupid, Lance. Never say that about yourself again and _that’s_ an order. You’re all that you need to be – just the way you are.”

Lance gapes, cheeks flushing deeper and clashing horribly with his glowing marks, utterly confused by Keith’s behavior.   

Keith sits back on Red’s pilot seat and smirks, basking in the warmth growing within. He had missed this, these special moments with the people he loved and cared about – with Allura. With _Lance_.

For the first time in a long while, he allowed himself to just feel, something he had not done since casting his feelings away in another time, in another reality.

But here, he can finally be true to himself.

And that is definitely how things should be.

**Author's Note:**

> There’s still a lot left to explain and lots more that I wanted to tell but decided to leave them out because ~~this is already so long and I just can’t cram in any more~~ it didn’t fit nicely anywhere in this story. Oh well. Might turn this into a mini-series if there’s interest. We’ll see. Thanks for reading!
> 
> Edit: Okay I'm probably gonna write a bit more for this story - particularly scenes/plot lines which I've hinted at but have yet to elaborate, so if anyone's got something they'd like to see/know more about, let me know in the comments! Thank you all for reading and commenting!


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